By Jeff Nun
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (April 19) – The USMTS Casey’s Cup Series returns to the Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., Friday night for a blockbuster event just a few miles from where the NASCAR boys and girls will be playing on Sunday.
“The area has had a lot of rain over the last two weeks, but we’re confident we’ll have a smooth racetrack prepared for the drivers tonight” said USMTS president Todd Staley. “Our crew is down here assisting the new owners and their staff in getting the track surface and everything else ready for a great night.”
Last July, the USMTS made its maiden voyage to the historic Lakeside Speedway and the fans jam-packing the grandstands got a classic battle that ended with Ryan Gustin claiming the victory en route to his second straight USMTS national championship.
The Iron Man Challenge featuring USRA B-Mods and local Factory Stocks will also be in action. Gates will open at 4 p.m. on Friday, April 19, with hot laps at 7 p.m. The night’s first heat race gets the green flag at 7:30.
The Lakeside Speedway is located 1.0 mile west of I-435 (exit 18) on SR 5 (northwest of Kansas City, Kan.). The track hotline is 913-299-2040 or check them out the track’s official website at www.lakesidespeedway.net.
On Saturday, April 20, the popular Salina Highbanks Speedway near Pryor Creek, Okla., will host another sure-to-thrill blockbuster featuring the USMTS Modifieds. Not surprisingly, Gustin took down one of the two events in 2012 while Terry Phillips captured the other checkered flag. Hughes was the winner when the USMTS made its only prior appearance in 2004.
Support classes for Saturday’s show will be Grand Nationals, 360 Modifieds, Pure Stocks and Factory Stocks presented by MCH Kenworth. Gates open at 4 p.m. with the first green flag waving at 6:30.
The Salina Highbanks Speedway is located 7 miles east of Pryor on SR 20. For more information, visit the website at www.salinahighbanksspeedway.com or call 918-434-7223.
Both events will award valuable points in the USMTS Arbor Masters Central Region presented by Day Motor Sports.
The “Big Dog Buy-In” will be in effect each night to create a possible $8,000 take-home pay for one driver. Each race pays $2,000 to win, but the Big Dog Buy-In allows any driver to gamble an extra $100 at the time of registration to compete for an extra $2,000 cash for taking the win. In eight events this season, a gambler has won the main event seven times.
To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/usmts, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/usmts or check out our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/USMTSTV.
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